


Au Revoir, Not Goodbye

by Aeshna_cyanea



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Feelings, Gen, Goodbyes, Lucifer Season 04 Episode 10 Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 17:32:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19114429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeshna_cyanea/pseuds/Aeshna_cyanea
Summary: After saying goodbye to Chloe, Lucifer has one last person he needs to see before he leaves Earth.





	Au Revoir, Not Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prompt fill for the following prompt from https://luciferprompts.tumblr.com :  
>  _4.10 missing scene: Lucifer doesn't fly directly back to Hell. He goes to Maze first to inform her of his decision._ (https://luciferprompts.tumblr.com/post/185069048367/410-missing-scene-lucifer-doesnt-fly-directly#Notes)
> 
> It is also my prompt fill for my luciferbingo prompt "heartbroken".

Lucifer landed almost silently outside the familiar building and quickly tucked away his wings. There was one thing he needed to do before returning to his infernal kingdom. Saying goodbye to the Detective had broken his heart, and he wanted nothing more than to leave Earth and every reminder of her behind, but there was one last person he needed to see before he did that. He walked up to the front door, then hesitated and stepped back into the shadows again. No need to alert the other residents to his presence. That would only complicate matters.  
  
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a quick text. Only a few seconds later, the front door opened and Maze appeared on the threshold. She spotted him before he could signal her, and he watched as she closed the door carefully behind her before coming over to him.  
  
"Lucifer. What's up?"  
  
"Mazikeen."  
  
The use of her full name instantly put his demon on the alert. In the blink of an eye, her demon daggers were in her hands, and she was looking around suspiciously.  
  
"What is it? Have more demons shown up to hurt Linda's spawn or take him away?"  
  
"What? No, no, it's not that."  
  
"Then what's the problem? Don't tell me another one of your siblings has come down here and wants to take the kid."  
  
"No." Lucifer sighed. "I came to say goodbye. I'm going back to Hell."  
  
Shocked silence greeted his words. Maze stood there, frozen, staring at him with wide eyes. He studied her, trying to gauge how she was taking the news, but the only movement was a minuscule flexing of her fingers which were still wrapped around her knives. Not an encouraging sign.  
  
"You're leaving."  
  
Lucifer flinched at her words. She sounded calm, matter of fact, but he could feel the anguish radiating from her. The unspoken words _'You're leaving me. You're abandoning me.'_ echoed loudly in his mind. He knew with absolute certainty that he had just broken her heart. Again. He and Maze had been together for longer than humanity existed - what with the way time flowed differently in Hell - and even though their relationship had been somewhat rocky in the recent past, neither of them had ever expected it to end.  
  
"I don't want to. But Maze, I have to go back. Hell needs a ruler who will prevent its denizens from coming here and terrorizing the humans."  
  
"But why does that have to be you? Let Amenadiel do it, he has just as much reason to want to protect the humans as you do."  
  
Lucifer fought down the urge to grin despite all the pain he was feeling. It seemed that Maze had not forgiven his brother yet, even if he hadn't actually been the one to take Charlie away from Linda. The fact that Amenadiel had considered such an action at all was enough for his demon to hold a grudge. Under any other circumstances, he might even agree with her suggestion. But...  
  
"Do you really want him to abandon his child?"  
  
He knew he was treading on dangerous ground. Their gazes locked, and he could actually see the struggle within her as she considered his question. Finally, Maze lowered her eyes and shook her head. "No."  
  
Lucifer nodded. "Me neither. That's why it has to be me. There is nobody else who could do it."  
  
Maze scowled. "Your father could send one of your other siblings. Most of them are just hanging around up there, being useless. Let them do some actual work for a change."  
  
Lucifer couldn't suppress a quick grin at her scathing assessment of his brothers and sisters, but then he became serious again.  
  
"He could, but we both know he won't. He wants me to do it, not anybody else. And now he's finally getting his wish." Bitterness laced his voice.  
  
Maze's voice was equally bitter. "Of course he is."  
  
For a moment it looked like she was going to say more, but then she obviously decided against it. Silence spread between them several long seconds, both of them standing there, frozen in the moment, neither knowing what to say or do.  
  
In the end, Maze was the one who acted first. She shifted uneasily from one leg to the other and avoided his eyes. "I can't just leave and go with you. I promised-"  
  
"I'm not asking you to," Lucifer interrupted her.  
  
She looked up at that, surprised. He smiled ruefully. "Yes, I wish you would come with me. I..." He hesitated, but then decided that he owed her full honesty if this was going to be the last time they saw each other. "I don't want to be alone down there."  
  
He held up a hand when it looked like she would interrupt him. "But I know you have a life here, now. Friends. A family. I'm not going to take that away from you, Mazikeen."  
  
His demon stared at him silently for a moment, her eyes suspiciously bright. Then she inclined her head.  
  
"Thank you, Lucifer." She reached up and tentatively laid a hand on his arm. "I wish..."  
  
Their eyes met again. He nodded. So many wishes. So many ways things could have gone differently. Too many regrets. "Yeah. Me too, Maze. Me too."  
  
He reached out and pulled her into his arms. Maze returned the hug immediately, clinging to him with a desperate urgency that would have made him squirm in discomfort under any other circumstances. Right now, it was exactly what he wanted. What he needed. He needed to hold his demon in his arms one last time, to feel her warmth, her strength, the unique rhythm of her heartbeat against his chest. Her scent filled his nostrils as he buried his face in her hair, and he tried to burn it into his memory. Memories would be the only things he'd have left once he returned to his kingdom.  
  
"I'll miss you, Maze. I'm going to miss you so much."  
  
It was the truth. He would miss all of them, of course. And he knew that he would dream of the Detective, of what could perhaps have been. But Maze had been by his side as he ruled Hell for millennia, longer than any of their human friends could possibly imagine. She had always been there, keeping him company, advising him, arguing with him, offering comfort or encouragement, having his back and fighting at his side. His right hand woman. His demon. His infernal partner. They had been a team. And now, he would have to do it all alone. Without her.  
  
Involuntarily, his arms tightened around her. Maze responded in kind, squeezing him with a strength that made his ribs creak before loosening her hold again.  
  
"I know. I'll miss you, too." She pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes. "Can't you come visit every now and then? I mean, I know you'll have a lot to do to get the demons under control, but it's not like you're imprisoned down there. You could risk a short visit every now and then, once things have settled down."  
  
Lucifer could see the hope shining in her eyes, and felt it rise within him. But he knew the danger, and struggled to resist the temptation.  
  
"I wish I could, Maze, but I don't think that's a good idea. It would be too..." He trailed off, unwilling to admit his weakness even to her.  
  
Maze understood. He could see it in her eyes. She knew that if he came to visit, he would be tempted to stay, and risk the same things happening again. She bit her lip and lowered her eyes, nodding curtly. Lucifer pretended that he didn't see the lone tear running down her cheek. He frantically blinked away the wetness in his own eyes.  
  
"I have to go." His voice was rough, barely recognizable.  
  
Maze bit her lip and nodded. She took a step back, and Lucifer felt the acute pain of separation the moment they were no longer touching.  
  
Perhaps his demon felt the same, because she immediately reached out and took hold of his arm again. "If you need me..." She paused, took a deep breath, looked up and started again, "If things down there get bad and you need help, come to me, I will go with you and help you."  
  
Lucifer was shocked by the offer. Shocked and touched. "Maze..."  
  
"I mean it, Lucifer." She looked up at him, full of determination. "If you need my help, if you have difficulties handling things down there, you can always come to me and I will help you. You’re part of my family, too."  
  
Lucifer stared at her in silence for a long second, then he swallowed hard. This, right here, was why he had to go. To protect his family. His true family.   
  
"Thank you, Mazikeen. I don't think it will be necessary, but thank you. It means a lot to me."  
  
Maze nodded, but then her eyes narrowed. "Promise me you will do it. Don't be a self-sacrificing fool. If things get bad down there, if you can't keep the demons under control, this world is in danger. My-” she broke off, then corrected herself, “ _our_ family will be in danger. Promise me that you will come get me if you need to."  
  
Lucifer swallowed again and gave her a watery smile. "Alright, Maze. I promise."  
  
She held his gaze for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay."  
  
Still she did not release her hold on his arm.  
  
Lucifer was wondering if he should pull away when Maze shifted uneasily and spoke again, this time avoiding eye contact. "And maybe, sometime in the future, when the others..."  
  
She broke off, once again biting her lips. It took him a moment to realize what she wasn't saying. In the future, when the others were dead, and she was the only one left.  
  
He fought to speak against the lump in his throat. "When that time comes, I will come to you. I won't leave you up here, all alone. You have my word for that, Mazikeen."  
  
She nodded sharply, still biting her lip, and once again took a step forward and wrapped her arms around him in a crushing embrace. Lucifer returned the hug with equal strength.  
  
After far too short a time, his demon released him and stepped back again. Lucifer looked away as she surreptitiously tried to wipe away her tears. His own cheeks were equally damp.  
  
With a quick roll of his shoulders, he unfurled his wings. Maze looked up at the sound and movement, and snorted. He arched an eyebrow at her, wondering at her reaction. After all, she hadn't commented on his devil wings when she first saw them, so why the snorting now?  
  
Lucifer turned his head and stared at his wings. His very much angelic wings. "Bloody Hell."  
  
Another snort from his demon made him turn back to her with an inquiring frown, but Maze just bit her lip and averted her gaze, clearly unwilling to say whatever was on her mind. He waited a moment, then gave it up. If she didn't want to spoil their last few moments together by saying something he would object to, he couldn’t blame her.  
  
He took another look at his wings. They were back to their old glory, the feathers pure white and glowing softly with divine light. Somehow, that was almost as upsetting as the bat-like monstrosities had been.  
  
Still, the sight of them did give him an idea.  
  
With clenched teeth, Lucifer reached out and plucked one of the small feathers from the underside of his left wing. Even though it was only a small one, it hurt every bit as badly as he had expected, and he couldn't quite suppress a hiss.  
  
"What the Hell did you do that for?" Maze was staring at him, arms crossed, frowning.  
  
He held the feather out to her. His eyebrows shot up when she actually took a step backwards, the frown deepening into a scowl.  
  
"Why are you giving that to me? I don't want it."  
  
"Maze..."  
  
"I don't need any soppy mementos to remember you by. Save that for Decker, she's the type who goes for that kind of stuff. And you can give it to her yourself. I'm not playing messenger for you."  
  
Lucifer rolled his eyes. "That's not why I want you to have the feather, Maze."  
  
"Then why...?"  
  
He gave an irritated sigh. "You made me promise that I would come get you if I need your help. I want you to promise me the same thing."  
  
"But-"  
  
"But you can't go to Hell on your own, yes. That's why I want you to have this feather." He held it out to her again, and seeing her confusion went on to explain, "With this, you can call me."  
  
"Huh? How?"  
  
The scowl had disappeared, and Lucifer was pleased to see Maze take a step towards him again, her eyes fixed on the feather in his hand.  
  
"It's simple. Take it."  
  
Somewhat to his surprise, Maze actually did what he had asked, taking the feather from his hand and holding it dubiously.  
  
"Now fold your hands around it, and then-"  
  
"Pray?" She stared up at him, eyebrow arched sardonically.  
  
Lucifer laughed. "No. Well, technically I suppose... Anyway. Just concentrate, think of me, and of the message you want to give me. With the feather in your hands, I should be able to feel your thoughts, no matter where I am. Why don't you try it?"  
  
Maze shot him a look, but she carefully folded her hands around the feather and closed her eyes. A split second later, the words _'stupid, annoying ass'_ practically boomed across Lucifer's mind.  
  
"Hey!" He glared at her, and then had to laugh when she smirked.  
  
"Got that, did you?"  
  
"Loud and clear, Maze."  
  
She opened her hands and stared thoughtfully at the feather. "And you think it will work the same way if you're down in Hell again?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How do you know? Have you ever done this before?"  
  
"No." He had to admit that he hadn't. Neither had any of his siblings, not with a feather. Prayers could work without any physical aid if the human believed strongly enough and knew an angel’s true name. And there had been instances of humans being given blessed objects that allowed them to contact an angel, but never something so powerful and so personal as a feather.  
  
"Then how can you be so sure it will work?"  
  
Lucifer stared at Maze, and saw the uncertainty in her eyes. And the fear. Fear that she might find herself having to use this, and it wouldn't work. Fear that in such a desperate moment, he would let her down. No, that his unfounded confidence in this would let them both down.  
  
"We can try it, if you want." The words were out of his mouth before he had even consciously thought of it.  
  
Maze stared at him for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay."  
  
Lucifer took a breath and let it out again. "Alright. I'm going to fly down to Hell. Give me a minute or so, then call me. I'll come back as soon as I get your call."  
  
His demon nodded again.  
  
"Ready?" Lucifer waited for yet another nod, then launched himself into the air and took off for Hell.  
  


* * *

  
Maze stood there, staring at the spot where Lucifer vanished for several long moments. He was gone. He had left her.  
  
 _Only for a moment_ , a little internal voice reminded her. _He'll come back as soon as you call him._  
  
Yes, but only for a few minutes, then he would leave again.  
  
Maybe she shouldn't call him back. It would only hurt to see him again, knowing that nothing had changed, that this was still goodbye. The pain was already there in her chest. Lucifer coming back would soothe it for a moment, and then he would rip the wound open again when he left for good. Why go through that? Why break her heart all over again for just one more short glimpse at him? Wasn't it better to just accept the inevitable now, and learn to live with the pain?  
  
But if she didn't call him back... He would still return. He would think it hadn't worked. And then he would leave again, and they would never know if there was a way for her to call him in an emergency.  
  
Besides, if she didn't call him and he found out, it would hurt him. She didn't want that. Lucifer was part of the family she had built for herself. That's why she had made him promise to get her if he needed her help. And that was why he deserved to know if it was possible for her to call him if their friends needed his help.  
  
Realizing that she had wasted precious minutes already, Maze folded her hands around the feather, concentrated, and called out to Lucifer.  
  


* * *

  
The smell of the place hit him first. Even before the endless dark plains with their black basalt pillars stretched out before him, Lucifer could already smell them. The ash, the burning sulfur, the stink of the demons and damned souls. It hit him like a hammer blow, and made him want to turn around instantly.  
  
With clenched teeth and narrowed nostrils, he found a landing place on the edge of the cliff overhanging the vast plains. There was no point in flying to his palace, and letting his demonic subjects know he was back. That could wait until his official return.  
  
His eyes took in his kingdom as he waited impatiently for Maze's call. He had asked her to give him a minute to make sure he was actually down here when she called, but he had forgotten to take into account that time flowed differently here. Of course, his current position right on the edge of his kingdom should alleviate that fact a bit, since the effect was worse deeper inside Hell. But he still hoped Maze wouldn't wait too long.  
  
As the minutes ticked by, Lucifer began to wonder if perhaps his demon's doubts had been justified. Maybe it didn't work with him down here after all. But how would he know? How long would he have to wait to be sure it wasn't just the time-dilation?  
  
He was debating whether an hour, half an hour, or perhaps fifteen minutes would be enough when the words suddenly sounded in his mind.  
  
 _Lucifer. Come back. Please come back to me. Please don't leave me._  
  
He froze. Surely Maze hadn't meant for him to hear that last bit? He knew it was what she felt, what she wanted, what she was desperately wishing for. He knew because he was wishing for the same thing. But Maze would never admit that out loud. She was too proud for that, too strong. And she knew it was useless. He couldn't stay on Earth, no matter how much either of them wished differently.  
  
With an angry shake of the head Lucifer broke his stupor, spread his wings, and flew back to Earth one last time.  
  


* * *

  
Maze was standing where he had left her, hands folded, eyes clenched shut. They snapped open as he landed in front of her, and the mixture of hope, joy, and pain in them broke Lucifer's heart.  
  
“It worked?”  
  
He nodded, struggling to speak around the lump in his throat. “Yes. I heard you loud and clear.”  
  
His demon nodded and lowered her head.  
  
Lucifer frowned. Why was Maze avoiding his gaze?   
  
“What is it?”  
  
Maze glanced up for a moment, then looked away again and shook her head mutely.  
  
“Come on, Maze. You’ve got something to say, I can see it.”  
  
She only shook her head again.  
  
“Out with it, Mazikeen.”   
  
His tone was firm, and perhaps colder than she deserved. But he didn’t have the luxury of letting her stew on whatever was bothering her until she finally decided to share it with him. He would have to leave very soon. It was now or never.  
  
Maze glared at him, and for a second Lucifer was convinced she would refuse. But then she scowled and spoke. “Are you sure you want me to have the feather? What about Decker?”  
  
Lucifer froze. He hadn’t even thought of that. Now that his wings were back, he could give the Detective a way to contact him. But… somehow that thought did not make him happy. Quite the contrary. It left him uneasy, nervous, apprehensive.  
  
He frowned and tried to figure out why he was feeling that way. Why would the idea that the Detective could call him, and summon him back from Hell, make him uneasy? What could possibly be bad about her calling him in an emergency, like someone trying to take Charlie away from his parents again, or some other supernatural entities wreaking havoc on Earth?  
  
Nothing, except that he couldn’t imagine her calling him in such circumstances. For every emergency scenario he could think of, the person contacting him in his mind, informing him and requesting his help, was not the Detective. It was Maze.  
  
Lucifer’s eyes drifted back to his demon. His oldest friend. His trusted right hand. Maze turned her head away when she noticed him glancing at her, but she wasn’t quick enough to hide the pain in her eyes.   
  
That sealed it.  
  
“No.”  
  
Maze’s head whipped around again at the sound of his voice, the pain in her eyes still there, and now warring with confusion.  
  
Lucifer swallowed, and made his meaning clear. “No, Mazikeen. I don’t want the Detective to have the feather, and I’m not going to give her one, too. You’re the only one I want to have this way of contacting me. I trust you to use it wisely.”  
  
He saw the exact moment his words sank in, and she realized their implications. _I trust you._   
  
That was what it all boiled down to. He trusted Maze. He didn’t trust the Detective. It hurt, but not perhaps as much as it should have.  
  
But right now, what mattered was that for once he had managed to say exactly the right thing to his demon. Maze was looking at him with such an expression of joy, and something more, something he had a hard time putting into words. Her eyes were once again brimming with tears, and Lucifer instinctively stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms. He felt her chest hitch with a sob as she hugged him back.  
  
Lucifer rested his cheek against the top of her head. “I trust you with everything else, too. I left instructions with my lawyer a while back. If she doesn’t hear from me for three months, all my earthly possessions are signed over to you.”  
  
Maze pulled back enough to stare up at him. “What? Why?”  
  
“Who else could I leave it to?” He rolled his eyes and sighed at the look that answer earned him. “Do you think the Detective would be happy to suddenly be the owner of a night club?”  
  
Maze grimaced. “No. She’d probably close it down, or sell it to the first developer who made her an offer.”  
  
“Precisely. And my employees deserve better than that.” Lucifer reached up and cupped her cheek. “I know you have your own life, and your job as a bounty hunter. I’m not expecting you to give that up just to look after my club. The team I have there should be able to run the place mostly on their own, and you might even be able to transfer it to them completely. If that’s what you want to do.”  
  
His demon nodded, mollified.  
  
Lucifer continued. “As for the rest, you can sell my other properties, or give them to the Detective and her offspring. Or maybe Doctor Linda would like one of them. The Silverwood Lake property would make a good retreat if Charlie develops wings. Or even if he doesn’t.”  
  
He hesitated a moment, but then decided to offer her a piece of advice. “If I were you, I’d keep the penthouse, tough. I know you’re living with the good Doctor right now, and she is happy to have you there. But once her offspring gets older and more active, you might find yourself yearning for a place where you can get a bit of peace and quiet. And of course you can party there without getting into trouble with Linda.”  
  
For a second, Maze looked like she might be offended by the suggestion that she could ever want to be away from her chosen family. But then her expression became thoughtful. Finally, after several more silent moments, she nodded.  
  
“Yeah. I was thinking that I could always go on a bounty hunt if it got to be too much, but the penthouse is better. That way I can stay near enough to keep an eye on things.”  
  
Lucifer smiled and nodded. “You can redecorate the place, of course. Make it yours. It _is_ yours now.”  
  
Once again it looked for a moment like she would protest, but Maze remained silent and only shrugged. Lucifer suspected his penthouse would stay exactly as he had left it for some time, until the point came when his demon was ready to accept that he would never come back to stay in LA.   
  
Maze cast a quick glance up at him, then averted her eyes again. “So, this is goodbye, isn’t it.”  
  
“Yes. Or rather no.” He smiled ruefully at her arched eyebrow. “Not goodbye, Maze. Au revoir. We will see each other again. I promise.”  
  
Wordlessly, she tightened her hold on him and pressed her face against his chest. Lucifer returned the hug, knowing it would be the last time for a long, long while that anybody touched him with genuine affection.  
  
It seemed as though the embrace had lasted forever, and at the same time hardly an instant, when Maze decided to release him and take half a step back. She made no attempt to hide her tears.  
  
“Au revoir then, Lucifer.”  
  
Lucifer closed the tiny distance between them again and leaned down to brush his lips against hers. It was perhaps the most gentle and non-sexual kiss they had ever shared.  
  
His own cheeks were as wet as his demon’s when he broke the kiss. “Au revoir, Mazikeen. Take care of yourself. And be happy. You deserve happiness.”  
  
He didn’t wait for her reply, but spread his wings and launched himself into the air with one powerful movement, speeding away as fast as he could, not looking back, trying to escape his broken heart. Still he could feel Maze’s gaze on his back long after he had left Earth behind.   
  
Lucifer smiled through his tears. His demon would always be with him, even if only in his mind. And one day, they would meet again. It was only a glimmer of hope, but it was enough.


End file.
